Artists

Marlon Titre, GuitarAt the young age of 18, Marlon Titre was appointed as “junior composer in residence” to the Residentie Orkest Den Haag. A few years later he won the first place at the renowned Michele-Pittaluga Guitar competition in Italy. Since then he has performed all over the world as solo guitarist and in ensembles in festivals, concert halls and theatres, including performances for special occasions (for example in 2005 at the silver jubilee of Her Majesty Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands.) He has won awards at over 20 competitions in 6 countries.

Marlon Titre was born in 1982 in Aruba on the Netherlands Antilles. He graduated with the highest honours from the Robert Schumann music college in Düsseldorf, Germany (graduate recital with distinction) and from the Royal Conservatoire Den Haag (Master of Music 1.0 with distinction). He attended classes in composition from Steve Mackey, Steve Reich and Louis Andriessen. In 2007 he wrote compositions for the “Classic Express”, the mobile concert hall of the Princess Christina Foundation. An important part of his work as a composer is the participation of primary school children, more than 10,000 of whom have already performed his works. Marlon Titre has written two concertos for guitar, both of which he premiered himself: A Titre Personnel for classical guitar and ensemble and Ficciones for electric guitar and ensemble.

In 2006 Marlon Titre recorded his debut album in Milan with music by, among others, Nuccio D’Angelo, Athur Kampela and Antonio Lauro. For this recording he played a guitar made by Yuichi Imai. In 2009 he received the “Juventus Award” in France for an outstanding young musician. Since 2008 he has regularly published a digital E-Zine, Marlon Talks, which features interviews with musicians and tips for guitarists.

The Melton Tuba Quartett was founded in 1987. It was the first and is still the only ensemble of its kind in Germany.

Through its numerous activities in Germany and abroad, it has earned a solid place in the music world. The positive reviews it received for its first concerts were followed by a number of performances: German radio and television, at German and international music festivals such as the “Verso il Millenio” international tuba congress in Riva del Garda, Italy in 1997 and the Army Band Tuba Conference in Washington, USA in 1999 and 2006, at the Estío Musical Burgalés in Spain in 2008 as well as a sold-out performance in Berlin’s Philharmonie. One of the quartet’s priorities is working with young people. With their entertaining and informative children’s and family concerts, the ensemble has brought the tuba closer to young people and the young at heart of every age.

Several seminars, master classes and their first CD “Premiere” brought the four musicians to the attention of renowned composers. So far, they have produced four CDs, now including “Lazy Elephants” (1995), “POWER” (1999) and “What a Wonderful World” (2005). Due to popular demand, the works especially written for the Melton Tuba Quartet are published by Bruno Uetz Publishing in their own “edition melton tubaquartett” series.

Hartmut MüllerHartmut Müller graduated as a student of Walter Hilgers. Not only insiders know of Hartmut Müller’s international soloist appearances as well as his orchestral activities. He has been a member of the Wuppertal Symphony Orchestra since 1988, after having been a member of the Saarbrücken Radio Orchestra. In 2007, he founded the TRIO EUPHONY - Soprano, Harp and Tuba.

Heiko TriebenerHeiko Triebener has been a member of the Bamberg Symphony since 1993 after having been a member of the Saarbrücken Radio Orchestra and the Beethovenhalle Orchestra in Bonn. He has made a name for himself by winning first prizes at international competitions and by appearing as a soloist throughout the world.

Prof. Jörg Wachsmuth studied with Prof. Dietrich Unkrodt. He won second prize in 1988 and first prize in 1992 at the International Instrumental Competition in Markneukirchen. After playing in the Neubrandenburg Philharmonie, he was appointed solo tubist of the Dresdner Philharmonie in 2000. He was awarded the title “Kammermusiker” in 2006 and has been honorary professor of tuba at the “Carl Maria von Weber” conservatory in Dresden.

Ulrich HaasAfter winning competitions early in life and studying with Hans Gelhar in Cologne, Ulrich Haas was appointed tubist of the State Theatre in Kassel and became a member of the Duisburger Philharmoniker in 1983. He is lecturer of tuba at the Folkwang University of the Arts in Essen.

Pascal Gallet (piano) was born in Chambéry, France in 1968. He received his first piano lessons from Eliane Richepin and Paul Crapie. Later he continued his studies at the Paris Conservatoire Supérieur de Musique in the classes of Pierre Sancan, Yvonne Loriod and Pierre Reach. To this day he remains connected to Teresa Llacuna as a pupil. He emerged as a prize-winner from different international competitions, among them »Viotti-Valsesia«, Ministére de la Culture, Porto, Trapani, Vierzon and the competition of the Menuhin Foundation. His international career began with piano recitals as well as concertos in England, Mexico, Germany, Canada and Switzerland, working with for example the conductors Claude Schnitzler and Marc Foster. Recently he toured Taiwan, China and Japan. At the festivals in Villevielle, Naples, Geneva, Kiev, Detmold and Kitzingen he appeared either as a soloist or as a chamber musician. Eckard Fischer, Roco Filippini, Jörg Widmann and Joseph Silverstein were among his partners.

Furthermore he could be experienced in numerous live radio concerts. The complete recording of André Jolivet’s piano music has been released under the label »Maguelone«. Olivier Messiaen dedicated two of his bird pieces to him (»La Rousserolle Effarvatte« and »Le Merle bleu«). Since June 2001 the pianist has been artistic director of the festival »Pentecôtes Musicales« at the abbey of Fontmorigny. Since November 2004 Pascal Gallet has been »artiste in Residence« at the conservatory of the city of Pecq (Yveliness, France).

The Philharmonisches Orchester Hagen (Philharmonic Orchestra Hagen) was founded in 1907 as the first municipal orchestra of Westphalia, on the initiative of the music director of the Hagen Concert Society Robert Laugs. After interruptions during the two world wars activities could be resumed already in January 1946. Berthold Lehmann followed Klaus Nettstraeter as Musical Director in the year 1949. The 'Hagen Music Days', which takes place every year, was now brought into being.

Musical Director Reinhard Schwarz who took over Lehmann's tasks from 1970 advanced the Orchestra's youth projects and alongside projects with schools, the Hagen Music Competition was announced for the first time in 1979. In the following years GMD Michael Halasz, through continuous progressive work, managed to double the numbers of visitors and from 1982 the new civic hall offered the orchestra, and its newly expanded audience, a new home. In 1990 Gerhard Markson took on the position of Hagen Musical Director, strengthening the supraregional involvement of the orchestra, besides his work in the operatic field.

After a five-year cooperation with the South Westphalian Philharmonia Hilchenbach and under the musical directorship of GMD Georg Fritzsch, the orchestra again became independent in August 2002. From 2004 the Dutchman Antony Hermus took on the directorship of the Philharmonic Orchestra, which now aims to gain a new and younger audience, besides its traditionally close connection to the theatre of the city of Hagen.

The Philharmonic Orchestra of the State Theatre of Mainz leads cultural life in the town of Mainz for over 125 years. Its history begins in 1876, when the mayor Franz Schott founded a town orchestra, that could soon boast of a long list of well known visiting conductors: Richard Strauss, Hans Pfitzner, Hans Rosbaud, Gustav Mahler, Karl Schuricht, Erich Kleiber, Hans Knappertsbusch and Eugen Jochum. Since the 1980‘s the Philharmonic Orchestra of the State Theatre of Mainz, under the Musical Directorship of Mladen Basic, Peter Erckens, Stefan Sanderling, and since the summer of 2001 Catherine Rückwardt, the first female music director in Mainz, has become one of the most important orchestras in the Rhine-Main region.

In addition to participation in Opera and ballet performances at the State Theatre – including also world premieres – the Orchestra presents itself also in various concert series, covering not only the repertoire from Baroque to the present day, but makes its mark through unusual and interesting Programme planning, that is alsoopen to experiments, and moreover makes a large contribution to children and youth work. In this area, the orchestra works regularly with respected visiting conductors and soloists.